Thursday, August 21, 2014

I absolutely hated the 80's; and unfortunately, I was a child of that wretched decade.

I had to live through the big obnoxious hairdo's, the florescent colored clothing, super-white stonewashed blue jeans and terrible television shows like Miami Vice or ALF.... ALF! How did that show become popular?

So, imagine my dismay when I received an email from Topps this morning shilling their newest direct-to-order poster/card creation. It is called "Throwback Thursday - the 80's Collection" and the design just makes me want to throw up. It's like a "21 Jump Street" nightmare - another show I absolutely hated!

Check it out below. Dodger hurler Orel Hershiser is in the set, along with 14 other stars from the decade. The poster print on the left (red bordered) are numbered to 49 copies, and the print on the right (blue bordered) are numbered to just 10 copies.

That's not even the worse of it. Check out this monstrosity below.

"Gag me with a spoon!"

This is a "1 of 1" print of Hershiser, and I just want to forget this ever happened.

For a couple of years now, Legendary Auctions has been selling original paintings created by famed Baseball artist Dick Perez. He had previously released a book featuring his newest works entitled, "Immortals Collection," and made the paintings he used for it available for auction. Below are some of the Brooklyn Dodger paintings available in Legendary's newest auction.

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Rube Marquard was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1971. He was a standout pitcher for the New York Giants for eight years, but did spend six years of his career in Blue. Per the auction description:

Purchased in 1908 for the then-unprecedented sum, Rube Marquard
struggled miserably in his first two seasons with the Giants until
mentor Wilbert Robinson joined the coaching staff. Then Marquard
embarked on a stellar three-year run where he averaged almost 25 wins
(including his extraordinary record of 19 straight in 1912) en route to a
trio of N.L. pennants. Toast of the town, he also starred in the silent
movie Rube Marquard Wins and performed on stage nationwide
with vaudeville leading lady Blossom Seeley in a popular song-and-dance
show. (Seeley scandalously left her husband to marry Rube and they had a
child together in 1913.)

Following Robinson to the eponymously named Brooklyn Robins, Marquard
donned this iconic plaid uniform style during his renaissance years of
1916 and 1917—when he won a combined 32 games and played in his fourth
of five World Series over an eventual 18-year career. Alone on the
dugout steps, eyes trained on the admiring viewer, one could hardly
imagine a more classic depiction of the Hall of Famer's matinee-idol
looks, mischievous grin, and confident swagger.

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Dazzy Vance spent twelve of his sixteen Major League years as a Brooklyn Robin. He won 190 games for us from 1922 to 1932, and was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1955. Vance is noted for being a late bloomer. Per the auction description:

Dazzy Vance's life was fit for the silver screen. Nicknamed for his
dazzling fastball, Vance toiled in the minors for nearly a decade, then
discovered a long-hidden arm ailment thanks to a fluke poker-game
injury, and subsequently parlayed his recovery into meteoric
major-league success!

In his third season with Brooklyn, the 33-year-old drank from the
fountain of youth to capture the 1924 Major League Triple Crown with 28
wins, 262 strikeouts and a 2.16 ERA—taking home the N.L. MVP to boot.
Vance also holds the distinction of being the only National Leaguer ever
to lead the circuit in strikeouts for seven straight seasons
(1922-1928). What's more, he had a no-hitter, an immaculate inning, a
15-strikeout game, and a 15-game win streak to his credit. Then, of
course, there were his off-field hijinks as the fun-loving ringleader of
the "Daffiness Boys"—along with cohorts Babe Herman and Chick Fewster.

Why the Dodgers have not retired his number (#15) I will never understand. I get that he (and the Dodgers for that matter) had only worn a number for one year while he was a Dodger, but why deny the Hall of Famer who spent most of his career in Brooklyn the honor.

Dick Perez on "Roy Campanella - 'Campy'": "I always believed that any professional athlete to be good you have to have a little boy in you." Roy Campanella, one of the Boys of Summer, spoke these words during his induction into baseball's Hall of Fame. Although he never wanted to be considered a pioneer, Campanella was the 6th African-American player to make an appearance as a Major Leaguer in the 20th century in 1948. Like Jackie Robinson, he was a product of the Negro Leagues where he became a first-string catcher at the age of 16.

Man-O-Live, Eric Stults was impressive in his start last night, er... Wait... He's not a Dodger anymore.... What?... Oh.... That sucks...

The Dodgers got beat by a former Dodger named Eric Stults, and I find myself saying, "that figures." He held the Dodgers in check for five innings, giving up just four hits, walking one and striking out five. The Dodgers pitcher, Roberto Hernandez, was less impressive in his third start in Blue - against weaker competition even. He gave up eight hits and allowed four runs in his five innings of work.

That wouldn't have been too bad if the Dodgers offense was able to do anything against the Padres, but that was not to be. Their relief crew held us in check as they continue to be impressive. I'm telling ya, the Padres will be good sooner than later. Their pitching is not the reason they are in the dumps this season. It's their offense. It sucks. But they have a good foundation to work with, and with their recent signing of Don Welke to be their VP of Scouting Operations, I suspect they will only get better.

“Sports fans are getting clobbered,” said Hal Singer, a Washington-based
economist with consulting firm Economists Inc. “Either you’re denied
access to the content because your distributor won’t carry it at the
ridiculous price, or you’re forced to incur the switching costs” to
change providers.

That's not me, of course. I am quoted further down in the story.

ICYMI: Zack Greinke's scheduled start for today has been pushed back a couple of days. He will pitch on Saturday, instead. Today's starting pitcher will be Clayton Kershaw. Ken Gurnick on twitter notes:

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“There’s nothing like wearing a Dodger jersey. There’s nothing like it in sports. I don’t care that I’ve never been anywhere else. I don’t care. There’s nothing like wearing a Dodger jersey.” -- A.J. Ellis